Folding-machine.



G. L. FULK.

FOLDING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED MA'R. 3. 1913.

v Patented May 2,1916.

GEORGE I4. FULK, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE POSTAL SUPPLY 8c MFG. (10., OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

FOLDING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

PatentedMay a, rain.

Application filed March 3, 1913. Serial No. 751,674.

times without tearing the paper or cracking the surface thereof, the machine being so constructed as to put no tension on the pa- I per to cause it to tear.

Generally speaking, the invention comprises the elements and combinations thereof set forth in the accompanying claims.

Reference should be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation of the folding machine. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the folding machine. Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4: is a section on the line 44 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a section on the line 66.of Fig. 2. Fig. 7 is a section on the line 7-7 of Fig. 2. Fig. 8 is an end View of the middle form shown in Figs. 1 and 2 in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 9 is a section on the line 9-9 of Fig. 2. Fig. 10 is in part an elevation of the second folding form shown in Figs. 1 and 2 looking in the direction of the upper arrow. Fig. 11 is an end elevation showing the end of the first form of Figs. 1 and 2 looking in the direction of the lower arrow. Fig. 12 is a sectipn on the line 12-12 of Fig. 2. Fig. 13 is a section on the line 13-43 of Fig. 2. Fig. 14. Sho s are folded paper strip in section as it leaves the middle form of the folding machine. Fig.

15 shows in section the strip of paper as it appears finally folded.

In certain classes of work, as, for instance, printed forms wherein it is desired to obtain a-number of carbon copies of the original, itis customary to print these strips of paper with the four forms adjacent each other in alinement and perforate the paper between the adjacent printed forms. For convenience in handling, however, it is do- 'or otherwise written upon.

paper placed between their folds that the folded form may be inserted in a typewriter In any event, it has become customary for the printer of such blank forms to supply the paper in folded condition, and further the paper on which the printed matter is arranged is usually printed in the form of continuous strips and in this form they must be folded.

To do the folding by hand is a matter of considerable trouble and usually results in cracking the surface of the paper and otherw1se defaclng it, so that it becomes objectionable for use. It is therefore the purpose of this machine to-receive the paper substantially as it may come from the press .and to ultimately deliver the broad strip which is received from the press folded in substantially the manner indicated in Fig. 15. The particular assemblage of forms which are here shown are employed in foldmg the paper to a four leafed form, but it will be perfectly apparent by employing the features of invention herein disclosed (differently proportioned) that the paper.

may be caused to be folded any desired cated at 1, 2 and 3, and the paper at the.v

end of thG'fOIDINO. 3 is received between rollers 4 which may be caused to rotate in any suitable manner,-a hand operatedrcel being shown in the drawing. As the rolls are rotated, they serve as a means for drawa ing the paper over the forms, by which drawing action the paper is caused to be folded in the manner which is to be described.

Obviously any desired means of eifccting the movement of the paper may be employed', and I do not limit myself to the particular means here' shown.

Form No. 1 comprises a member having a surface which is broad at one end, as indicated at 5 in Fig. 2, and approaches a point at the opposite end, as indicated at 6. This surface, however, becomes deeper as it approaches the end 6, so that the resultant surface may be said to increase in depth from the end 5 toward the end 6. At the end 6 the form assumes an edge like appearance, as shown in Fig. 11, while. at the end face, from one end to the other. The second form is represented 'at 2, and

may be said to comprise two wall members I 7 and 8 which at the end 9 extend parallel with eachother, as will be seen in Fig. 10.

,.substantially straight,.while the lower portion of'this wall is bent to assume a direc is substantially at right angles to the di-' Theupper portion of the wall 7 extends tion at the opposite end of the form which rection of the 'walls' 7 and 8 at the end @9-thereofx The upper portion of the wall bends downwardly and outwardly, and

at the endof the form which is opposite i to'the end 9 it'also extends at substantially right angles to the walls 7 and 8 at the end '9 thereof. This results in causing the lower 7 surface of the form to have a generally upward tendency when the forms are placed as shown-in the drawing. The lower por tions of the-walls 7 and 8 are joined together, asindicated at 13, and the paper which is fed between the walls 7 and 8 will in: part pass through the slot 14 which is wformedby the meeting of the walls 7 and -8, while a certain portlon'of the paper-will lie along that portion of the wall 7 which is not bent. The wall 8 near the forward portion thereof is provided with'a guide 15 beneath which that portion of the strip of paper which is in contact with the wall 8 may be guided,- and-as it passes over the portion of the .wall 8 which is opposite 7 from-theend 9 of the form, the paper will be caused :to assume a horizontal position. The third form has a surface which in part is substantially triangular as is represented at 16 The form also has sides 17 and 18 whichmeet in an upper ridge indicated at, 19,*these walls,18 and 17 at their rear edges areslanting and cooperate with the edges of the surface 16. It will thus be seen" that in. this form the surface decreases in width from one end toward'the other, and through a portion of the length in the same direction, the height' increases. Thelower edges of the sides 17 and 18 appreach each; other toward one end of the form and finally meet in what is substantially an end edge. Covering portions of this fdrm "are guides such as indicated at 20-and 21. These guidesextend over the sides and hold the strip of paper passing over the form so that itiwill follow the cons formation of the wallsof the-form. The portions of the. sides between these covers =or'guides1are provided with troughs, such 'as indicated at 22, in Fig. 4, which serve to prevent the paper from' dropping, and to form a support for. it 'as well.

The paper is fed into the machine at the v paper passes.

end of the first form which is indicated at 5. For this purpose there are two cooperating bars indicated at 23 and 24, which form a narrow slot through whlch the The strip passes over the surface of the under side of the'form 1, and in so passing it conforms to the surface of this form and any given cross section of the paper would, when arriving at the portion 6 of form 1, be folded in substantiall the middle thereof and be extended vertlcally. The paper thus folded will ass through the opening between the walls 7 and 8 in the end 9 of the second form. One of the leaves of the folded paper will follow the contour of the wall-7, while the other of the leaves will follow the contour of the wall 8, and as the strip of paper emerged from the end 9 of form 2 it would appear substantially as shown in Fig. 14 considering the dotted line portion of the fold to represent the paper immediately upon its leaving the second form. As the paper is drawn away from the second form it assumes the position shown in full lines in Fig. 14. As will be seen one-half of one of the folds which was made by form No. 1 has been folded back upon itself. The strip of paper passes in the form shown in Fig. 14 onto the form 3 with the portion of the strip of paper indicated at 25 coming into engagement with the top surface of this form. As the paper passes beneath the guide covers 20 and 21 it will'be folded, for these guide covers cause it to conform to the shape of the walls 17 and 18 and as the paper leaves the end of form 3 the leaf which is indicated at 25 in Fig, 14 will be folded back upon itself in the manner indicated in Fig. 15.

While I have indicated in the present proportions of the forms shown in this machine that the paper is to be folded into four equal parts, it will be evident that the machine differentlyproportioned may cause the paper to be folded into three parts by dispensing with form 3, or other folding effects may be obtained as the particular proportions of thedesign of these forms may be changed. The form indicated at 2 may be made as a continuation of the form 1, if desired, but form 3 should be spaced from form 2 so that the. folded material passing from form 2 may come into a flat position to be fed to form 3. If desired, a guide may be provided over which the material may slide in passing from form 2 to 3. Such a guide is indicated at 26 in Figs. 1 and 2. H

Having described my invention, I claim: 1. In a folding machine, the combination with a plurality of forms through which passes the material to be folded, the first form being shaped to cause the material to. be folded to form two leaves, a second form being shaped to cause one of said leaves of the previously folded material to be folded back upon itself, a third form being shaped to cause the other of said leaves to be folded back upon itself, and means for drawing the material through the forms.

2. In a folding machine, the combination of a form having a surface of decreasing width and increasing depth from one end of the form to the other, a second form having a surface which decreases in depth and increases in width from one end to the other, and a third form which is a surface in part of decreasing width and increasing height from one end toward the other and slanting surfaces which in cross section are inverted V shape, said surfaces being continuations of the first mentioned surface of the third form, and means for drawing the material through the forms.

3. In a folding machine, the combination of a form having a surface of decreasing width and increasing depth from one end of the form to the other, and a second form in alinement with the first form, said second form having a surface which decreases in depth and increases in width from one end to the other, and means for drawing the material through the forms.

4. A folding form having a straight edge at one end and having an edge at the opposite end, said edge being bent back upon itself and lying at right angles to the first mentioned edge, the surface of the form having a uniform and gradual bending from end to end, a guiding surface for causing a sheet of material to conform with the first mentioned surface.

5. A folding form having a surface which is substantially flat at one end, said surface bending toward the opposite end so that the side edges approach each other and meet at the said opposite end, the end edge at the said opposit end being folded upon itself and extending at substantially right angles to the end first mentioned.

6. A folding form having a surface which is substantially flat at one end, said surface bending toward the opposite end so that the side edges approach each other and meet at the said opposite end, the end edge at the said opposite end being folded upon itself and extending at substantially right angles to the end first mentioned, said folding form having another surface which in part conforms to the firstmentioned surface and in part extends away from the first mentioned surface.

7. In a folding machine of the character described, a folding form having a Wall which at one end is straight and at the opposite end is folded back upon itself, the folded edges lying in a plane at right angles to the straight end of the wall, and a second wall which in part conforms to the shape of the first mentioned wall.

8. In a machine of the character described, a folding form having opposed surfaces between which the material to be folded is caused to pass, said surfaces extending substantially parallel at one end of the form, one of the surfaces having its longer edges gradually bent away from the other surface until the said edges of said surface meet,

the other of said surfaces having one of its r edges gradually bent to follow and coincide with an adjacent edge of the first surface.

9. In a folding machine of the character described, a folding form having opposed walls which are substantially parallel at one end of the form, one of the walls being bent so that at the opposite end to that first mentioned the wall is bent back upon itself to form a substantial edge which extends at right angles to the edge where the walls are parallel, the second wall having a free portion and a bent portion which conforms with a portion of the first mentioned wall to form a guiding passageway for the material.

10. In a machine of the character described, a folding form having opposed surfaces between which the material to be folded is caused to pass, said surfaces being close together at one of their ends to form a slot, one of the surfaces being bent so that its forward edge is doubled upon itself, a guide cooperating with said surface to hold the material thereon, the other surface having a portion of its forward edge bent to be parallel with the forward edge of the other surface, said second surface also serving to guide the material, and means for drawing the material through the forms.

11. In a folding machine, a folding form having sides which slant and meet in a ridge said sides also converging to meet in an edge at the end of the form the opposite end of the form being formed by a surface which intersects the sides said end surface being of decreasing width from one end to the other end thereof.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE L. FULK. Witnesses N. C. HUBBARD, A, J, Henson. 

